Poland plans to buy Airbus A330 MRTT tanker aircraft under European SAFE program.

Poland is planning the purchase of Airbus A330 MRTT tanker aircraft to provide national aerial refueling and strategic transport capacity under the European SAFE financing framework.

According to Defence 24 on November 27, 2025, Poland plans to acquire Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft as part of a national effort to establish an aerial refueling and long-range airlift capability, with financing linked to the European Union Security Action for Europe (SAFE) program. The Ministry of National Defence confirmed in December 2025 that in-flight refueling is treated as a core operational requirement for the Polish Air Force.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link

With the European SAFE mechanism, Poland could purchase up to four Airbus A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) to refuel its fleet of F-16, F-35, and FA-50PL fighter jets, increasing the reach of the Polish Air Force. (Picture source: Airbus Defence and Space)

Poland has set out to build an organic aerial refueling and long-range airlift capability by moving toward the acquisition of the Airbus A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport, with financing tied to the European Union’s Security Action for Europe program. In December 2025, Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz confirmed that in-flight refueling is treated as a core requirement for the Polish Air Force, and the procurement is being connected to a wider SAFE-backed defense investment package. The plan links operational needs on NATO’s eastern flank with the availability of low-interest lending, while also aligning the purchase with SAFE eligibility rules that affect which aircraft can be financed through this mechanism.

Polish officials have connected the tanker requirement to the immediate problem of keeping fighters on station and responding at a distance without relying on scarce allied enablers. Kosiniak-Kamysz pointed to a recent incident in which Russian drones entered Polish airspace, forcing Polish F-16s to fly toward the eastern border on a fuel-intensive profile, and the fighters reportedly relied on a NATO tanker for refueling during the response. In that framing, the issue is not only wartime sustainment but also routine readiness and air-policing effectiveness when aircraft must reposition quickly and remain airborne longer. The same context has been used to argue that Poland needs the ability to task tankers directly under national control when NATO refueling capacity is limited.

The SAFE framework is central to the procurement approach because it defines what can be financed and indirectly influences the platform choice. A key rule cited for SAFE-backed purchases is that no more than 35% of a system can come from non-EU sources, which affects eligibility for some non-European aircraft. In the tanker-transport segment, that constraint is described as excluding Boeing’s KC-46A from SAFE-supported financing, narrowing realistic options for Poland if it wants to use SAFE loans. Within that boundary, the Airbus A330 MRTT is positioned as the viable candidate consistent with SAFE’s origin requirements and Poland’s intent to combine refueling with strategic transport functions, with planning that looks out toward deliveries extending through 2030.

The procurement scale centers on a small national fleet sized to deliver constant availability rather than mass, with figures referencing two to four aircraft and a potential cost cited as up to €1 billion. The tanker effort is linked to Poland’s broader SAFE allocation, described as up to €43.7 billion, where tanker and transport aircraft appear among the priority items Poland intends to finance through the EU mechanism. The political timeline in the same set of details notes that talks about acquiring three to four tankers began under Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government in late 2023, and by December 2025 the direction was being confirmed publicly by the defense minister. The result is a plan that ties funding conditions, industrial eligibility, and operational urgency into a single acquisition track.

The Airbus A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) is a wide-body, twin-engine aircraft designed to combine aerial refueling, strategic airlift, and medical evacuation roles within a single platform. Based on the civilian A330-200, the MRTT is equipped to carry approximately 110 to 111 tonnes of fuel, allowing it to support multiple receiver aircraft during a single sortie while also retaining an endurance of roughly 15,000 km depending on mission profile. The aircraft can be configured with both boom and hose-and-drogue refueling systems, enabling compatibility with a wide range of fighter and transport aircraft operated by NATO members. In transport configuration, it can carry around 45 tonnes of cargo or several hundred passengers, with commonly cited layouts accommodating up to 267 passengers. The A330 MRTT can also be fitted for aeromedical evacuation, including intensive care units and hospital beds, allowing it to support casualty evacuation and humanitarian missions alongside military operations, which fits Poland’s requirements. During refueling missions, the aircraft is capable of transferring fuel at a rate of up to about 70,000 liters per hour, supporting sustained air operations over extended distances.

The tanker requirement is also linked to the size and modernization of Poland’s combat aviation fleet, which increases demand for refueling support and long-range mobility. The force structure cited includes 47 F-16C/D Block 52+ aircraft, alongside planned additions of 32 F-35A and 36 FA-50PL, a mix that raises the need to extend fighter endurance, reduce downtime caused by repeated landings for fuel, and support longer transit legs for exercises or operations. General Ireneusz Nowak is cited arguing that tankers can reduce the number of fighters and pilots required to maintain extended air patrols by enabling aircraft to remain airborne longer, and he also noted that tanker capacity is scarce inside NATO. In the Polish rationale, national ownership of tanker assets becomes a practical lever for sustained readiness in Central and Eastern Europe.

The current effort is formally associated with the Polish Armed Forces’ long-standing Karkonosze program for the acquisition of aerial refueling and strategic transport aircraft. This designation does not refer to a specific platform but to the capability requirement itself, which has resurfaced repeatedly over the past two decades. The program’s history began around 2008, followed by postponement around 2010 and later attempts to address the requirement through multinational arrangements. Poland withdrew from the NATO Multinational MRTT Fleet around the turn of 2015 and 2016, after which it remained without a national tanker capability. Earlier requirement-setting under the Karkonosze program emphasized dual refueling methods, boom and hose-and-drogue, as well as the ability to transport cargo, passengers, and wounded personnel, which aligns with the A330 MRTT’s multi-role design. Although Poland again explored multinational options in early 2025, including cooperation with France or Spain or a return to the MMF concept, the current move to the A330 MRTT is framed as the most concrete pathway yet under the SAFE rules.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.